Gromyll
Birth of Gromyll/Hat'Nor Gromyll The Betrayer was born Hat'Nor, son and heir to the High King Ar'Nor. However, following The Craw's curse placed upon the King's first born Child, Hat'Nor was forced to become a vessel for the Eldritch being known as The Craw once he reached the age of 13. However, forced into solitude by his father's fear, Hat'Nor's mind became much more easily influenced, and The Craw easily entered the child's mind at a much younger age. On the evening before The Craw's Scheduled arrival, King Ar'Nor ordered his closest General, Tylo'Tam to take the young Hat'Nor into the Wildlands and execute him in order to prevent the Craw's arrival. Tylo'Tam, the only other person beside the King who knew of the child's dark secret reluctantly agreed. With the young child tied to his horses back, Tylo'Tam took the child out of the city and into the Wilds. Whilst preparing his blade for the ritual execution, Hat'Nor, under the Craw's influence, untied his hands and beat Tylo'Tam to death using a nearby rock. Blood on his hands, the young Hat'Nor jumped on Tylo'Tam's horse and rode off into the wilderness. Hat'Nor swore he would do anything and everything he could to reclaim his destiny - To rule the land of Hyperborea. Rise of Gromyll the Crow As the Gromyll Plague spread through the Kingdom of June, King Ar'Nor announced that his own son and heir, Hat'Nor had died to the horrific epidemic. Hearing news of this whilst resting in his permanent residence in Port Sorrow, Hat'Nor changed his name to "Gromyll" to spite his father. In the time since he had avoided death, Gromyll had become an expert in dark magic, specifically the use of blood magic and pyromancy. Travelling under the guise of a wandering plague doctor, Gromyll travelled from town to town, city to city, converting all manner of people from their worship of Ar'Nor to worship of the spreading plague, hailing it a sign from the Titani Pelor. Eventually, there was not a town or city without cults dedicated to the Gromyll plague, and its chosen symbol, the Crow. In retaliation, Ar'Nor ordered martial law across the land, and eventually Gromyll was forced to flee the Human lands to the wastelands of the Orcs on a trade ship. Aboard that ship, Gromyll learned of the birth of his sister, the Princess Pel'Nor, and of how she planned to claim his throne. Gromyll and Warboss Thraka Across the sea from the Kingdom of June, Gromyll found a home among the Greenroc Orc clan lead by the ultraviolent Warboss Thraka. Unlike other Orcish clans, the Greenroc's were not content with simply raiding travelling caravans. Instead, they would take ragtag ships across the sea to the Kingdom of June to raid villages. Gromyll saw these greenskin savages as a useful weapon in reclaiming his stolen throne, and formed a shaky relationship with the Orcs. To gain their trust, Gromyll demonstrated his impressive use of Pyromancy to create dazzling firework displays. The nomadic Orcs had never seen such command of the elements, and his stories of endless riches only furthered their fervour. The Greenrocs pledged their alliance to Gromyll. He now had an army at his disposal. Gromyll's closest ally however came in the form of the clan's warboss, a huge Orc named "Thraka". Under Gromyll's command, Thraka's armies marched across the disparate Orc tribes, uniting them under one flag. The flag of the Crow. Gromyll's Siege of June Gromyll and his army of newly united Orcs took their ships across the sea to June roughly 15 years after Gromyll had left. Finding his father was completely unaware of his presence, Gromyll ordered Warboss Thraka to round up entire villages of women and children and place them in shackles, to be brought with the Orcish War machine. Ar'Nor, believing this sudden disappearance of humans in the countryside to be the work of Phismur, an ancient white dragon residing in the Krystal Kaves, sent two thirds of his army to march inside and slay the dragon. It took the army four weeks to reach the Krystal Kaves, it took Gromyll just 6 days to reach June. Once Gromyll arrived outside the grand walls of June, he had all human prisoners executed in a grand ceremony of scarlet liquid. Their innocent blood was collected, and poured into a vast cauldron, in which Gromyll bathed for his final ritual. Gromyll gave in to the rasping voices inside his skull, and offered his own body in sacrifice to allow the Craw to walk Hyperborea once more. The Craw, now at full power once more, marched into the City, who's guards fell easily. Calling out for Ar'Nor to face him for a second time, the frail King descended from his palace clutching the same blade he had used to kill the Craw the first time. Chuckling to himself, The Craw ordered the Orcs to fire upon Ar'Nor, killing him in the main square of the City he had built. Leading his army through the doors of the Royal Palace, the Craw was alerted to the sound of Gromyll's sister, Pel'Nor behind him. Using her Father's blade, The Craw was destroyed again. The Greenrocs were forced out of June, back across the Sea. As the Craw's influence faded from his body, Pel'Nor was left clutching the brother she had never met, dying in her arms. With his final breathe, Gromyll announced "I shall return for my throne." Gromyll's body was burned in the highest tower of the Royal Palace.